King of Lumiose
by AAMFanFiction2015
Summary: Gym Leaders Royalty AU. King Clemont has enough trouble in his life, but he gets more than he bargained for when he saves a thief from Kanto off the streets... Diodeshipping / sfw Ash x Clemont.
1. Prologue and Chapter 1

A/N: Hello readers! Here's a new story from my FanFiction class. I've had this idea for months now, and I'm really glad to get started on it. The AU should be pretty self-explanatory, but if you have any questions or confusion about it PM me and I'll clarify. It's waaaay more intricate than I thought it would end up being, so I might be a little slow in posting new chapters, but I'll do my best! The first chapter here will include both the prologue and the actual first chapter. **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or these characters.** Enjoy!

 **Prologue**

"Come on, we have to go. Hurry, _hurry_!"

"But where are we going?!"

"I don't know. I don't care. Anywhere but here."

"You're their king, you have to stay!"

"...I won't have my happiness stolen from me again. I can't let it happen! I will _not_!"

* * *

Seven hundred years ago, the Kalos region was divided into eight different kingdoms, and each of these kingdoms was ruled by a king or queen. All of these leaders had either proven themselves to have an enormously strong connection to their Pokémon or were a descendant of someone who had done so. As the Kalosian government shifted to a more central, unified approach over time, the roles of the former rulers and their successors evolved to become the early equivalents of gym leaders. This will be the account of Clemont, the young king of the largest Kalosian kingdom, Lumiose. It will take place before any attempt at a central government was conceived, and at a time where poverty and threats of disease sent the citizens of nations worldwide into turmoil. When immigration into the kingdoms of Kalos from other regions increased due to job opportunities, tensions grew particularly high…

 **Chapter 1**

"Bonnie, I've told you a thousand times. I don't want you to help me find a queen!" Clemont cried indignantly, getting fed up with his sister's attempts at matchmaking yet again.

"I'm telling you, brother, I know what's best for you. How are you ever going to find someone when all you do is sit there spacing out all day?" Bonnie retorted, defiantly sticking to her ongoing personal mission for her brother. She always had a composed yet stubborn air about her. Even though she did genuinely care for Clemont, she was never easy to reason with once she set her mind to something.

They were in the throne room of the king's quarters. Clemont sat in the grand throne, but he wasn't looking so grand himself. Despite having just turned eighteen, he was very scrawny for his age by any standards; some even described him as sickly. At any given time, one could expect to find him lazing about the throne room, and he was most animated when trying to repel his younger sister's constant efforts to find him a girl to marry and make his queen. He wasn't interested, but then again, he never seemed interested in much of anything.

"I don't need your help," Clemont replied, "I'm perfectly capable of handling these things on my own."

"Oh, please. Just look at yourself," Bonnie said, motioning at Clemont. He wore the high-quality red and gold-trimmed underclothes that were reserved for royalty and other influential figures, but his regal cloak and his crown were unceremoniously cast aside on the floor. His skin was pale, his hair disheveled, and his eyes dull with dark circles beneath them from hours upon hours of inactivity. Even his partner Pokémon, Luxray, was lazily stretched out and napping on the floor by his throne and appeared to have no plans for moving any time soon. Clemont looked like anything but a king, and it was not unusual for him to remain like this for days. His looks contrasted dramatically with his sister's garments, consisting of a luxurious bright red and purple dress and perhaps a dozen different pieces of jewelry (redoubling the pretentious aura about her). Even her Dedenne peeking its head out of her dress pocket wore a string of jewels around its tail.

"You weren't always like this…" Bonnie mused. "What happened?"

"What happened? You know know the answer to that question perfectly well," Clemont said, a twinge of hurt and anger in his voice.

"No, that's not what I meant, I just-" Bonnie stopped herself and sighed, realizing she had struck a nerve. She continued, "I know you're a kind and loving person, I've seen it. And that's also how I know that any girl you get close to will see it, too!"

"Ugh. Bonnie, I really don't-"

"Which is why," Bonnie interrupted him in a singsong tone, "I'm bringing a girl here tomorrow to meet you! She's part of the Santalune bloodline-how quaint!-and she's settling here to make relations with our kingdom. She's _really_ cute, too. Isn't that great?" Clemont grunted unenthusiastically in reply. Bonnie had brought girls to meet him before, so why should this one be different? He couldn't care less if she was from Santalune or Laverre or anywhere else.

"I'll be back tomorrow then, brother!" Bonnie called cheerfully as she walked out the door, departing just as quickly as she came. Finally left alone again, Clemont drew in a deep breath and sat up a little on his grand seat. Bonnie had been doing this as long as he had been the king-six years now, technically. He wasn't sure how much more of it he could take. He knew it was because his sister loved him, but even so every time felt like it was pushing him closer to the breaking point.

He buried his face in his hands and gave a muffled groan, shoving the growing clutter of thoughts out of his head before something even more unpleasant started running through his mind. He exited the throne room and headed for his bedroom, which held a bed equally as grand as his throne. He might as well attempt to look rested. Apparently, he had a date tomorrow.

A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. I have the first six chapters written out, so they should be published quickly. Read and review!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 _She_ showed up the next day at noon.

"Clemont, I'd like you to meet Serena!" Bonnie excitedly introduced the girl she had brought into the throne room. She wore a dress highly reminiscent of Bonnie's, but with noticeably more ruffles and ribbons, and her hair was in an updo with even more ribbons. Clemont just stared speechless for a few moments.

"Well look-at-you!" Serena exclaimed cheerfully. "Aren't you just the cutest thing! I don't think I've seen a boy quite like you in my life." That was unusually high praise for someone like Clemont, who didn't look any more presentable than the previous day, maybe even less so. Clemont gave Bonnie a quick, pointed glance as if to say "Are you serious?" and even Luxray looked alarmed by the stranger's display.

"It's an honor to meet you, King Clemont, it really is. I've heard a lot about you from your sister. Good things, only good things of course!" Serena continued, and Clemont chuckled a little under his breath.

"Thanks...but Bonnie does tend to give me more credit than I deserve," Clemont replied. Still unconvinced about this extravagant visitor, he kept a dubious tone in his voice.

"Oh please, you deserve more credit!" Bonnie spoke up. "You're a blank canvas with a lot of potential. You just need the motivation to get going."

"And that's just what I plan on doing: being the painter to make the blank canvas into a work of art," Serena said with a big smile. _Ugh,_ Clemont thought to himself, _she's like an amplified version of Bonnie. No wonder she likes this girl so much._

"Listen. You're a very pretty and sweet girl," Clemont began his usual rejection lines as gently as possible, "but I'm afraid I'm just not interested in a relationship right now. I hope you can understand."

"Don't be silly dear! Isn't quite the jester?" Serena said with a laugh, confusing Clemont. "Honestly, making jokes like that only a month before our wedding."

Clemont gawked at her, eyes wide.

"Our...our what?!" he managed to stutter. His baffled stare didn't shift one bit.

"Oh, stop! You are just too much," Serena replied with a flirtatious giggle. After a moment, Clemont blinked and shifted his gaze to his sister, who was positively beaming as she stood behind Serena.

"Bonnie. Over here. Now." He sprang up from his seat on the throne and pulled Bonnie down the long throne room a little ways, out of earshot from Serena.

"What in the _world_ is the meaning of this?" Clemont questioned sharply.

"Okay now, before you say anything, I know you're angry-"

" _Of course I'm angry!_ "

"I know you're angry…" Bonnie resumed, "but you don't have a choice this time. You have to marry Serena."

"Not on your demand. I've told you a million times, I don't want help finding a queen!"

"Hey, don't shoot the messenger. It wasn't even my choice this time either," Bonnie replied. "Well, not completely…"

"What do you mean?" Clemont asked.

"See, with your inactivity as king thus far, the local authority figures agreed that finding a queen to make decisions in your place would be the best course of action. For the most beneficial political relationships to be formed, she had to be from the royal Santalune bloodline. And that's where _I_ came in with my expertise of picking the cutest girl I could find!" Bonnie finished explaining with a cheery smile. As long as there were pretty girls and dresses involved, she'd be happy in any situation.

"And I was kept out of the loop on this because…?"

"Because everyone knew you'd react the way you are now."

Clemont gave a stifled noise of frustration and balled up his hands into fists. He squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath, and Bonnie watched him, strangely amused.

"Look, I'm sorry bro. Honestly, I am. We'll see what we can do about this over the next month, but for now we really don't have much of a choice." Bonnie added quietly. Clemont knew she was right, no matter how much he wanted her to be wrong. He then turned and walked back to Serena, who was obliviously waiting patiently in the same spot.

"Sorry for the interruption. Um…" Clemont said, nearly gagging on the words he had to say next. "I'll be glad to have you as my wife and queen." _Ech._

"I knew you would be, I just knew it!" Serena exclaimed. "Well then, so sorry to leave so quickly, but I must get going. Goodbye darling, I'll see you at the planning parties!" With that, she strutted out the doorway.

In that moment, Clemont considered grabbing Luxray's tail to let a Thunderbolt end it all.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Later that day when Clemont was left alone once again, he was still in complete disbelief over what had happened just a few hours earlier. He had never felt any desire to find a wife and had outright resented the idea every time it came up. There was no way anything good could come out of being married to him; in his mind he was nothing more than a hopeless king, subpar in every way. Yet now here he was with no choice in the matter and only a month to try and change his fate. Just another problem he really didn't have the motivation to deal with.

Although it was true Clemont rarely left the king's quarters, he occasionally took walks outside to clear his head when something was bothering him. The vast, complex circular settlement surrounding the main royal building-a tall stone tower with prismatic glass windows-made the perfect place for a change of pace. He wrapped himself in a plain brown hooded cloak before leaving the tower to hide his identity from the public eye. The last thing he wanted right now was more stress and recognition.

Unfortunately, it was evident after a few minutes that his alone time was doing anything but clearing his head. Since he had learned of his arranged marriage to Serena, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about how things ended up like this. How _he_ ended up like this. Six years ago was when his father Meyer, the former king, disappeared under mysterious circumstances, leaving Clemont as his successor at the early age of twelve. Since a twelve-year-old is not exactly the best judge of political affairs for an entire kingdom, the lesser authority figures cooperated to make decisions until Clemont was of age to rule on his own.

But now that he had come of age, he had no spark or drive for his position. His father had been half of his whole world growing up, the other half being his sister. The years spent without him only made the pain worse and recovering from his loss harder. At this point in Clemont's life, he felt incapable of being a successful king and daunted by the life sentence that was his term as ruler that lay ahead of him, at least as he saw it. Meyer was known as one of Lumiose's greatest kings ever, ruling with strong yet benevolent principles in a way no one else had before. Living up to that standard was impossible in Clemont's eyes, so why even try? Attempting to do so would be foolish, and the citizens could handle their own affairs, however restless they became. Everyone would be better off if he just kept to himself for as long as possible.

He honestly hated when he got stuck thinking about the events leading up to his present situation, at least thirty years too early to be ruling a kingdom. Clemont kept his head down as he passed by the townsfolk. He walked quickly with his gaze fixed forward to attract as little attention as possible. He made his way up to a raised pathway that overlooked one of the city's landmark plazas.

Suddenly, he heard a commotion in the plaza below, interrupting his internal turmoil. Curiosity got the better of him, and he stopped to watch what was happening.

There must have been thirty people circled around a spot in the plaza. With the abnormally dry season the kingdom had been having, the usually grassy ground was dusty, and puffs of dirt arose with the crowd's scuffling. Whatever the people were surrounding was obscured from Clemont's view by people and dust, but he could hear what they were saying.

"It's a simple question, boy! Did you take it or didn't ya?" one of the men in the circle questioned in a gruff voice.

"And so what if I did?" a different, younger voice responded, defiant and strong. Was it a person they were surrounding, then? Clemont's ears perked up at this and he listened more closely.

"What are you wasting your time asking him for? Of course it was him. That's what his kind does," a second man from the ring of people spoke up. "And we're gonna teach him exactly what he can and can't do around here!" With this, the man lurched into the middle of the mob and swung a fist at whoever was in the center. It connected with its target with a dull thud and a suppressed exclamation of pain. He was followed by another man from the crowd and the impact and pained noises repeated themselves. Clemont flinched in empathy for the one being attacked, but he made no move to act. That is, until the crowd stepped back to make room for the assailants, giving Clemont a clear view of the person in the middle of it all.

His hair was jet black and sticking up in every direction. His skin was tan and had a leathery quality to it. His brown eyes caught the sunlight in a way that they seemed to glow in a warm shade of dark red. Clemont found himself staring, unable to take his own eyes off of this stranger's.

And then those warm brown eyes snapped shut in agony as another blow connected with their owner's jawbone. It knocked him to the ground and gave the second man the perfect opportunity for a brutal kick to the torso.

" _No!_ " Clemont shrieked involuntarily, loud enough to be heard over all the hustle and bustle going on in the whole area. It drew the attention of everyone in sight, including the stranger's attackers. He mentally cursed himself for what he had just done, but there was no way to take it back now. So much for staying undercover.

"Stop at once," he pressed on, loud enough for everyone to hear but more restrained now. Quickly, he removed his hood to reveal his face to the audience he had created. A general wave of surprise and hushed remarks of "It's the king!" surged over the crowd.

"This boy you are beating," he continued, "...he should not be handled as a matter of the public."

"What are you talking about?" one of the men that had been beating the stranger asked, turning to face Clemont. "This kid is a public menace-he's been a thorn in all the merchants' sides for months! It's only right that he gets what's coming to him. I swear, his kind should never have started coming here…"

"Don't worry about that," Clemont responded, "In fact, I want to deal with him myself." He put on his most intimidating face and glared down at the stranger for affect. The stranger returned his stare with a very real expression of disgust and hatred, with just a touch of what could only be described as confusion. Clemont tried his best to conceal his unease.

"You can't be serious," another man from the crowd shouted back to Clemont. "Since when have you done anything around here, huh?! All you do is sit in your fancy tower all day, isn't that right? Why should we listen to what you say?"

That struck a nerve. Clemont's harsh glare shifted from the stranger to the man shouting at him.

"I hope you realize exactly who you're speaking to. If you'd like to join this boy for punishment, be my guest," he said coldly.

Surprised and subdued, the men reluctantly backed away from the dark-skinned boy. Although they were frustrated, they were satisfied enough knowing that he would be dealt with by the king himself. Clemont spotted a few guards on the other side of the plaza and took advantage of his resources.

"You three," he called to the guards, "restrain this criminal and take him to a holding cell." The guards did as he commanded, putting handcuffs on the boy's wrists and pulling his battered form to his feet. "But," he added quickly, "put him in the special cell, on the lowest floor of the tower. I will deal with him from there."

The guards obliged and escorted the boy in the direction of the royal tower. The whole time he was in view, the stranger kept his eyes locked on Clemont's own. He made the same hateful expression he made when Clemont first spoke up. Clemont had to break eye contact with him before he was out of sight; it was all he could do to maintain his fa **ç** ade of firm fearlessness.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

There was just something about him.

The strange boy from earlier had indeed been placed in the tower's special cell, just as Clemont had instructed. At the time, he hardly realized what he was saying as the words flowed from his mouth. All he knew was he felt deeply compelled to get that boy away from the townspeople and save him from further harm. The quickest and most convenient way to do so at the time? Imprisonment. _Great call, champ,_ Clemont thought to himself.

Now it was late and Clemont lay restlessly in his bed, unable to get to sleep. He really couldn't get the stranger off his mind, especially knowing he was locked up practically directly below him. He had some quality, or combination of qualities, that inexplicitly fascinated the young king. He had such fearlessness in the face of danger and pain, which was something Clemont admired and so wished he could accomplish.

Aside from the short display of the boy's character, his physical appearance was something remarkable as well. His brown eyes, dark skin, and black hair were a perfect contrast to Clemont's own blue eyes, pale skin, and blond hair. In fact, dark features such as his contrasted with a majority of all Kalosian natives. It was so foreign and unusual to Clemont. _Especially_ his eyes. Those eyes, those eyes, those eyes...

He tore himself free of his bedsheets and grumbled frustratedly. He couldn't take the dust-clouded memories and the wondering any longer. Even if it was just for a moment, he had to go see him for himself.

He pulled one of his luxurious robes over his underclothes as he left his bedroom and entered the torch-lit hallway. He ran his hand along the rough stone wall as he descended the staircase as far as he could go, taking care to be as quiet as possible so as to not alert anyone of his presence. He slowed his steps and took a deep breath as he rounded the last corner. Before him stood the two night guards on either side of an iron door. It lead to where the boy was being held-the most secure cell in the whole kingdom.

"Your majesty?" one of the guards questioned, standing up straighter. They hadn't been expecting anyone to come by, let alone the king himself. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to assess this prisoner," Clemont stated. Technically, it was the truth. "The one from earlier. He is in here, correct?"

"Yes sir, but why so late? It must be past midnight by now," the other guard pointed out.

"This will only take a few minutes," Clemont replied. He didn't have an explanation for the timing, so he dodged the question.

The guards nodded and unlocked the heavy iron door. "Please be cautious, sir. He was being somewhat...uncooperative earlier." the first guard warned as Clemont crossed the threshold into a short, narrow corridor. The door slid shut behind him. The corridor ended in a small grotto-like area, and the cell's iron bars faced the door.

Finally, Clemont saw the boy sitting on a wooden bench on the left wall of the cell. He was wide awake and staring at the wall opposite him. Clemont was surprised at this for how late it was. He had been planning on preparing himself before waking the boy from his sleep, but instead he quickly put on the best serious face he could muster. He stepped into the open space in front of the cell, catching the boy's attention.

"It's you," he said bitterly, "What, did you come to 'deal with me' already? I really figured I gave those guys a hard enough time getting me in here that I'd at least be left alone for a day or two."

From this close up, Clemont noticed more details about the boy's clothes and features. He wore a plain light brown tunic with a dark vest over it, as well as tattered leather sandals. His arms looked toned and strong, but not excessively. He appeared to be Clemont's age, if not slightly younger, and his eyes continued to catch the torchlight beautifully.

"I couldn't leave you alone any longer. Troublemakers like you should be dealt with quickly," Clemont responded. He did his best not to let his voice waver.

"Hah, of course. I get that all the time. Menaces _like me_. It's all because of what I look like, where I'm from," the boy said. "I'm no worse than any other common thief around here."

Something clicked in Clemont's mind. "Where _are_ you from?" he inquired. The boy turned to look him in the eyes.

"The Kanto region, and I'm darn proud of it!" the boy replied with robust enthusiasm.

 _Kantonese! That explains a lot,_ Clemont thought. The looks, the people's harsh treatment...why hadn't he figured it out before?

"I see," Clemont continued. "I'll have to treat you accordingly, then. Just answer me this. What is your name?"

"It's Ashton," the boy answered casually, "Or Ash, if you prefer." He was growing surprisingly calm and comfortable as their conversation continued.

"My name…it's Clemont."

Ash nodded. "Yeah, I've heard your name around town a few times. Anyway, I really don't get why I have to be locked up in a vault like this," he continued, crossing his feet and reclining on his wooden seat, "Stealing a little food is an everyday thing around here, you know? Of course, I do it better than most, so maybe I am dangerous…" he finished with a chuckle.

Clemont abruptly turned and started back down the corridor.

Ash jumped to his feet and called after him. "What the-? Hey, where are you going? You barely even insulted me!"

"I'll be back," Clemont said over his shoulder as he slid open the outer iron door and exited the chamber. The guards closed and re-locked the door once he was out.

"Did you let him have it, sir?" one of the guards questioned jokingly.

"He let me have it," Clemont mumbled.

"What was that?"

"Yes. I'm going to bed. Please, carry on," Clemont said as he rushed to get back upstairs, leaving the guards confused.

As soon as he got back to his room he dove onto his bed. Turning over, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

 _Ash._ The name echoed in his head. Was this some kind of trick? How could Ash still be acting so fearless, even after everything he had been through? He buried his face into a pillow and muffled a frustrated groan. He felt more confused than ever.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Clemont returned to Ash's cell the very next night. He met the guards and spoke before they had time to say anything.

"I need you two to leave this position. I don't want any more guards standing watch over this cell," Clemont said.

"What? But sir, we have to-"

"Go on!" Clemont interrupted, "I want this door to be unguarded from now on." The guards were bewildered but they obliged, and he called after them, "And if they try to send anyone back, tell them I said no!"

With that, Clemont turned to the iron door and unlocked it with his own set of master keys. He entered the dim corridor and shut the door behind him.

"Who's there?" he heard Ash's voice call from the other end of the cavernous space. It made his heart jump a little. Ash was up late yet again. Pushing past the initial surprise, he stepped into the torchlight in front of the cell's bars.

"Hey, you did come back! I thought maybe I scared you off last night," Ash said with a chuckle. Didn't he realize he was in a position where he could face torture and punishment at any moment? He still didn't appear to have any sort of concern for his own safety. "So, what are you gonna do? Torture me or question me? Maybe you'll even let me go, eh?"

"Listen, Ash. I have to be honest with you," Clemont began.

"Oh? What...is it?" Ash's confused expression was the most serious he had looked since he had been locked up.

"The truth is...I didn't have you arrested for doing anything against the law," Clemont confessed.

"Huh?" Ash raised an eyebrow at him.

"Look, I'm really sorry about all this. I saw you were in trouble and I felt like I just had to get you out of there. The quickest way to do that was to bring you here," he explained, "I know it probably wasn't the best way to do it, but I'm here to help you."

Ash looked thoughtful as he pondered this for a moment. "I'll admit it was a pretty tight spot. So, thanks for saving me," he gave Clemont a toothy grin, and Clemont did his best to ignore the fluttering in his chest. "But that means I can go now, right?"

"No! No." Clemont said quickly. "I mean, I want you to stay here for a while. If you go back out in public now, they'll do the same thing again."

"No way. I was just a fluke that they caught me this time. Definitely should have used a few less Thunderbolts…"

"They would have _killed_ you, Ash." Clemont pointed out, and Ash huffed. "If you stay here, you'll be protected."

Ash thought for another moment, then realization crossed his face. "Wait a minute. This is all a setup, isn't it? You're just trying to get my trust so you can mess with my head. Like psychological torture. You're sneaky…"

"What? That's not it at all!" Clemont retorted, but Ash looked totally unconvinced.

"Okay," Clemont continued with a sigh, "What do I have to do to prove it to you?" But Ash kept quiet.

"Come on, just hear me out. I'll do anything." Clemont persisted as sincerely as he could. Ash glanced at him from the side as he thought.

"...All right," Ash said after a moment, "I want you to bring me my Pikachu. It's my partner Pokémon and my best pal, but we got separated when that mob started chasing us. It follows me everywhere, so I'm willing to bet it's close by this tower."

"A Pikachu. Got it. I'll bring it to you as fast as I can!" Clemont smiled at the chance to prove himself. He turned and started toward the outer door.

"Don't go anywhere." he said on his way out. Ash gave him an annoyed look from behind the iron bars. "...Oh, right."

* * *

Clemont and Luxray stood outside the royal tower. The area around the tower was deserted and it was illuminated only by the glow of the surrounding buildings' lanterns.

"All right Luxray, use your X-ray vision to look around for Pikachu," Clemont instructed his own partner Pokémon, "I'll go look where it's a little brighter." Luxray nodded and its eyes took on a dull yellow glow.

They searched all around the tower, in the dark corners, and under bushes, but after a few minutes there was still no sign of Pikachu. The two of them reconvened at the tower's main entrance.

"Nothing, huh?" Clemont mused. "Surely it can't be too far from here…"

He trailed off when something caught his eye. A Pikachu padded its way into a square of light cast by a lantern. It looked lost and distraught.

"Luxray, look!" Clemont exclaimed in a hushed tone. "That has to be it! Come on, let's get it. Quietly."

They crept through the darkness towards the little yellow mouse Pokémon. Its bright colors contrasted sharply with the darkness surrounding it. It now stood motionless, listening.

Clemont's foot scuffed against the ground, and he cringed. Despite their best efforts at sneaking up on the Pikachu, its ears snapped to attention and it loosed a Thunderbolt in Clemont and Luxray's direction. It couldn't have been easy, could it?


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Clemont shuffled back into corridor of Ash's cell. His hair stood on end and the edges of his clothes were singed at the edges.

"You look terrible," Ash said, stifling a laugh.

"Yeah, well. We found your Pikachu," Clemont replied, exasperated. Luxray followed Clemont through the doorway. It was carrying the wriggling Pikachu in its teeth by the nape of its neck.

"Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed. Pikachu stopped squirming at the sound of his voice, and both of their faces lit up when their eyes met.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu chirped happily. Luxray released its hold on the smaller electric type and it ran up to the bars of Ash's cell. Ash reached his hand through to pet its head.

"I'm glad you're okay, too," Ash said to Pikachu as Clemont unlocked the cell's door, allowing Pikachu inside. It instantly jumped into Ash's arms and nuzzled his face. Clemont couldn't help but smile at their happiness, even if Pikachu had given him and Luxray a tough time getting it here. _Like Pokémon, like master,_ he presumed.

"I'm glad you're together again," Clemont said, fixing his hair as best as he could, "Your Pikachu is strong. Its Thunderbolt is really something."

"Isn't it though? Thank you so much for finding it." Ash said with a grin. His expression turned apologetic. "But I'm really sorry it zapped you like that."

"I'll live," Clemont said, brushing off burnt pieces of clothing, "and you're welcome. We handled it fine, right Luxray?" Luxray gave a cry of agreement and smiled as well.

"Wow, your Luxray is amazing," Ash said, looking at the feline Pokémon with admiration. "I've never seen one this close up before."

"Thanks. It's my own partner Pokémon. I'd be worried if I didn't know where it was, too. Anyway," Clemont said, changing the subject, "now do you believe me?"

"Yeah. You did what you said you would. I guess I can trust you for sure." Ash said, sitting back on the wooden bench. Pikachu hopped down to visit with Luxray. "So I'll hear you out. I'm all ears."

"Great. Like I said before, if you go back out there now, those people will find you and hurt you. Or maybe even worse," Clemont said. Ash was about to object again, but he continued.

"Which is why I want you to stay here at least for a while. Just long enough to let them all calm down and get over this whole thing. If you do that, I'll personally guarantee your safety and comfort. Pikachu can stay here-just be sure to keep it hidden from the guards in the daytime-and I'll even bring you real food every night. It'll barely feel like a dungeon!" Clemont chuckled, attempting lamely to add humor to the situation. "So...what do you think?"

"Look, I really appreciate the offer. It sounds like a great deal, honestly. The thing is, I really don't care what happens to me. There's someone else I have to be free for. To take care of them."

"Really? Who?" Clemont asked. He didn't expect this.

"My mom, back home in the Kanto region. There's hardly any jobs to be had anywhere right now, I know. But if you think things are bad in Kalos, you ought to see Kanto. Things weren't looking good for us. My dad's never around and my mom is getting older and more and more at risk for disease. There's no way she could find work," Ash explained, "So I decided I would find a job myself. I promised her I would support her, no matter what. When I couldn't find any more jobs in Kanto, I started travelling abroad to find jobs. Right now, I help out at a little Rhyhorn ranch just outside the city. I send everything I earn back home. Every last bit of it.

"That's why I'm here, and that's why I steal food and supplies when I need them. It's the only way for me to keep my promise to her. Of course, this time I'll admit I probably got a little reckless with Pikachu's Thunderbolts while I was getting away. Plus, the people here...they've never surrounded me like that before. I hate to say it, but you're probably right about me being in danger if I go back out there too soon. I can't stop sending money for my mom, though…"

"That's very brave of you," Clemont complimented, "You must really love your mom."

"Yeah, I do. And I dunno about bravery," Ash said with a shrug, "I'll do whatever I have to for her. She deserves it."

 _He's so fearless. Selfless. Confident. So extraordinary…_

"If you stay here," Clemont started after a moment, "I promise to send double-no, triple! the amount of money you would usually send home."

"Whoa, what? Clemont, you shouldn't have to-"

"I mean it. Money is no object. She'll be taken care of and the rest of my offer still stands. All I ask for in return is your safety." Clemont extended his hand to the other boy. "Do we have a deal?"

Surprise lingered on Ash's face for just a moment, but it was replaced by an appreciative grin. He took Clemont's hand and they shook on it.

"Deal."


End file.
